Attitudes towards Harbor Seal Presence in downtown Bellingham, WA

Wildlife is often impacted by construction and human development just as wildlife itself impacts human activities. These mutual impacts influence human opinions on where wildlife should be. Downtown Bellingham, WA is on the waterfront of Bellingham Bay and currently under industrial development boasts dozens of harbor seals that prey on salmonids in the local Whatcom Creek. As a result of all these activities interactions between humans and harbor seals are common. To determine the attitudes of humans towards the presence of harbor seals in downtown Bellingham, I will conduct door-to-door interview surveys. My hypothesis is that human attitudes will depend on their previous and perceived future interactions with the seals. Household addresses will be randomly selected in neighborhoods closest to Downtown Bellingham and the waterfront. The survey contains two ranking, three multiple choice and one open-ended question to gain both unambiguous answers and options for participants to give explanations. Each interview is planned take five minutes to increase the likelihood of participation. Results from this survey will help understand factors influencing the attitudes between humans and harbor seals, and help guide potential accommodations for the continuing presence of seals in downtown Bellingham.